LIONEL MESSI

Messi playing forBarcelona at the2011 FIFA Club World CupPersonal informationFull nameLionel Andrés Messi[1]Date of birth24 June 1987(age 26)[1]Place of birthRosario,Santa Fe, Argentina[1]Height1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]Playing positionForwardClub informationCurrent clubBarcelonaNumber10Youth career1995–2000Newell's Old Boys2000–2003BarcelonaSenior career*YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†2003–2004Barcelona C10(5)2004–2005Barcelona B22(6)2004–Barcelona257(223)National team‡2004–2005Argentina U2018(14)2007–2008Argentina U235(2)2005–Argentina83(37)HonoursArgentinaThirdU-20 South American C'ship2005WinnerFIFA U-20 World Cup2005Runner-upCopa América2007GoldOlympic Games2008* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:03, 10 November 2013 (UTC).† Appearances (Goals).‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11September 2013Lionel Andrés Messi(Spanish pronunciation:[ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentinefootballerwho plays as aforwardfor Spanish clubFC Barcelonaand theArgentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team. By the age of 21, Messi had receivedBallon d'OrandFIFA World Player of the Yearnominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his firstBallon d'OrandFIFA World Player of the Yearawards. He followed this up by winning the inauguralFIFA Ballon d'Orin2010, and then again in2011and2012. He also won the 2010–11UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messibecame Barcelona'sall-time top scorerin all official club competitions. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200La Ligagoals.Widely recognised as the best player in the world and rated by some commentators, coaches and players as the greatest footballer of all time,[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]Messi is the first football player in history to win fourFIFA/Ballons d'Or, all of which he won consecutively, as well as the first to win threeEuropean Golden Shoeawards. Messi has won sixLa Ligas, twoCopas del Rey, fiveSupercopas de España, threeUEFA Champions Leagues, twoUEFA Super Cupsand twoClub World Cups.Messi is the first and only player to top-score infour consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also holds the record for the most hat-tricks (4)scored in the history of the competition. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the firstplayer to score five goals in one match. He also matchedJosé Altafini's record of 14 goals in a singleChampions Leagueseason. Messi set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In thesame season, he set the current goalscoring record in a singleLa Ligaseason, scoring 50 goals. Also in that season, Messi became the first player ever to have scored andassisted in six different official competitions in one season. On 16 February 2013, Messi scoredhis 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a professional football league. He extended his record scoring streak to 21 consecutive league matches, and the run came to a halt only when he sustained a hamstring injury.Messi helpedArgentinawin the2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with 6 goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in theFIFA World Cup, and won a runners-up medal at theCopa Américain 2007, in which he was elected young player of the tournament. In2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic Gold Medal, with theArgentina Olympic football team.SportsProhas rated himas the second-most marketable athlete in the world. His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriotDiego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".[12]Early lifeMessi was born inRosario,Santa Fe Province, to parents Jorge Horácio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.[13][14][15][16]His paternal familyoriginates from the Italian city ofAncona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.[17][18]He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a sister, María Sol.[19]At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.[20]In 1995, Messiswitched toNewell's Old Boyswho were based in his home city Rosario.[20]He became part of a local youth powerhouse that lost only one match in the next four years and became locallyknown as "The Machine of '87", from the year of their birth.[21]At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with agrowth hormone deficiency.[22]Local powerhouseRiver Plateshowed interest in Messi's progress, but were not willing to pay fortreatment for his condition, which cost $900 a month.[16]Carles Rexach, the sporting director ofFC Barcelona, was made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives inLleidain westernCatalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial with the team.[16]Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin.[23][24]Barcelona offered to pay Messi's medical bills on the condition that he moved to Spain. Messi and his father duly moved to Barcelona, where Messi enrolled in theclub's youth academy.[20][24]Club careerBarcelonaMessi played in Barcelona's junior Infantil B andCadete B & A teams from 2000 to 2003 (scoring37 goals in 30 matches in Cadete A). He was nearly released from the club in 2003 because of financial constraints, but his youth coaches convinced management to keep him (Cesc Fabregaswas released during this purge).[25]Season 2003–04 saw him on a record[26]five different teams: He started one match in Juvenil B (one goal) and got promoted to JuvenilA (14 matches, 21 goals). Later he debuted forFC Barcelona Cteam (Tercera División) on 29 November 2003 and forFC Barcelona B(Segunda División B) on 6 March 2004. He played for both teams during the season (10 matches, five goals and five matches, zero goals, respectively).[27][28][29]Even beforethese two debuts, Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in afriendly matchagainstPorto.[30][31]Less than a year after his start,Frank Rijkaardgave him his league debut againstRCD Espanyolon 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player to play in La Liga, which would be broken byBojan Krkićin September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club againstAlbacete Balompiéon 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona[32]until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist.[33]Messi said about his ex-coach Rijkaard: "I'llnever forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."[34]During theseason, Messi played also in Barcelona B (Segunda División B) scoring 6 goals in 17 matches.2005–06 seasonOn 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014.[20]Messi obtained Spanishcitizenshipon 26 September 2005[35]and was finally able to make his debut inthe season'sSpanish First Division. Messi's first home outingin theChampions Leaguecame on 27 September against Italian clubUdinese.[30]Fans at Barcelona's stadium, theCamp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon hissubstitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations withRonaldinhohad paid dividends for Barcelona.[36]Messi netted six goals in 17 league appearances, and scored one Champions Leaguegoal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie againstChelsea.[37]Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.[38][39]2006–07 seasonMessi in a match againstRangersin 2007In the2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a regular first team player, scoring 14 times in 26 matches.[40]On 12 November, in the game againstReal Zaragoza, Messi suffered a brokenmetatarsal, ruling him out for three months.[41][42]On 10 March,El Clásicosaw Messi in top form, scoring ahat-trickto earn 10-man Barcelona a 3–3 draw,equalisingthree times, with the final equaliser coming ininjury time.[43]In doing so he became the first player sinceIván Zamorano(forReal Madridin the 1994–95 season) to scorea hat-trick inEl Clásico.[44]Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he beganfinding the net more often; 11 of his 14 league goals for the season came from the last 13 games.[45]Messi shortly before scoring a goal against GetafeMessi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by nearly replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.[46]On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during aCopa del Reysemi-final againstGetafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona'sfamous goalagainstEnglandat the1986 World Cupin Mexico, known as theGoal ofthe Century.[47]The world's sports press drewcomparisons with Maradona, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona".[48]He ran about the same distance, 62 metres (203 ft), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flagjust as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before.[46]In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mateDecosaid: "It was the best goal I have ever seen in my life."[49]AgainstRCD EspanyolMessi also scored a goal which wasremarkably similar toMaradona's 'Hand of God' goal against Englandin the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi launched himself at the ball and connected with his hand to guide the ball past the goalkeeperCarlos Kameni.[50]Despite protests by Espanyol players and replays showing it was clearhandball, the goal stood.[50]During his time atFC Barcelona, managerFrank Rijkaarddecided to move Messi from the left flank onto the right wing, initially against the player's wishes, allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot or cross with his left foot.[51]2007–08 seasonMessi takes Barcelona to 2–0 against Sevilla atCamp Nouon 22 September 2007On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona againstValencia CF.[52]Messi was nominated for aFIFPro World XI Player Awardunder the category of Forward.[53]A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaperMarcahad him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote.[54]Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapersEl Mundo DeportivoandSportstated that theBallon d'Orshould be given to Messi, a view supported byFranz Beckenbauer.[55]Football personalities such asFrancesco Tottihave declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[56]Messi finished third in the2007 Ballon d'Or, behindKakáandCristiano Ronaldo,and finished second in the2007 FIFA World Player of the Yearaward, once again behind Kaká. He also came in third in the IFFHS World'sBest Playmaker Award, once again behind Kaká andAndrea Pirlo.[57]Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions Leaguematch againstCeltic FC. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type ofinjury.[58]Messi scored 6 goals and provided 1assist during the Champions League that season,as Barcelona were knocked out in the semi-finals, to the eventual winnersManchesterUnited. When the season was over Messi had managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competitions.2008–09 seasonUponRonaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey.[59]During this season he placed second in the2008FIFA World Player of the Yearawards with 678 points and third in the 2008 IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Award for the second consecutive year.[60]Messi in action againstManchester Unitedin the2009 UEFA Champions League FinalMessi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in aCopadel Reytie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1.[61]Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal.[62]On 8 April 2009, he scored twice againstBayern Munichin the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition.[63]As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at theSantiago Bernabéu[64]in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930.[65]He won his firstCopa del Reyon 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory overAthletic Bilbao.[66]He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the Champions League by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he alsobecame the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals.[67]Messi also won theUEFA Club Forward of the Year: and theUEFA Club Footballer of the Yearrounding off a spectacular year in Europe.[68]This victory meant Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey,La